After being scooped from Midway by a friend as Goose Island Prop Day 2019 Weekend was about to begin, he booked a tour at Moody Tongue and we needed a solid base before a weekend of indulgence. Enter Ricobene's! Ambiance-wise, it's very causal (classically so) with a diner/burger-hop-like feel. They serve up an assortment of sandwiches, from their famed breaded steak sandwich, to classic Chicago Italian beef, and chicken parm, etc., as well as deep dish / "pan" pizza, and the like. They actually have a pretty robust menu for what I would have thought. Maybe I was still a bit groggy from my flight, but I was definitely planning on getting the bread steak sandwich, but the words "Sicilian beef" came out, and about 5 minutes after paying, I realized my error. I followed-up with the cashier, and could have had my order changed, but I ultimately just kept my order as is and figured I'd just get my Chicago beef sammy fix checked-off. Overall, the sandwich (a regular - the larges are pretty damn huge, and I couldn't get into food-coma mode just this early in my stay), was satisfying - beef was juicy and the Giardiniera I addedhad a real nice amount of heat to it without turning me into a schvitzy mess. Solid sandwich. If back in town again and in the area, I wouldn't mind swinging by again for that breaded steak sandwich, but I get the feeling you wouldn't go wrong with pretty much most of what's on the menu here. read more

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I give the Chicken Parm Sandwich 's with the cheese and hot peppers this is definitely a grand slam!!! This place is a must of you're ever in the city for a Sox's game or anywhere near this place. I actually drive from Aurora to pick this up. I the the feel of the place lots of people most of them have been there many times so they know what that want. But me I take my time ho over the menu and still go back to the same thing! Lol Chicken Parm trust me it's a must read more

Ricobene's - Chicken Parmesan - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love their steak sandwich with giardiniara and cheese. Best sandwich after a white sox game.

Amazing. Historic. Spicy. Breaded steak sandwich does something magical. The bread and the breading both do Justice on soaking in incredibly wet sandwich. The vibe is really friendly and old fashioned. I don't know what this says about the restaurant.... But you know it's good when the locals of China Town are coming to an Italian place for lunch. Something is going right! read more

Ricobene's - Breaded Steak Sandwich - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sorry for the terrible pic I took but - anywho, keep reading. I had Ricobene's for the first time and I was skeptical because it was late and pizza is pizza but my bf and were hungry so we put in our order for delivery. We got The Works pizza, their very famous breaded steak sandwich, breaded mushrooms and onion rings. OMG everything was delivered super fresh and super hot. The Works pizza is seriously the best I've ever had. Whoever cooked last night, my guy/girl: you have got to be kidding me, thank you for making amazing food! The freshness of everything was just truly awesome and they really cared. THANK YOU! read more

Ricobene's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

There's a reason why this place has been in so long! Everything on the menu is excellent! Try the breaded steak sandwich! It was rated the best sandwich in America. I would say no cheese is needed but hot peppers is a must! Two people can share the regular size. This sandwich is huge and messy! The pizza has a nice crust to it...not soggy! I recommend the chicken vesuvio sandwich as well! This is a great place to check out before or after a Sox game! read more

Ricobene's - Breaded steak sandwich with cheese and hot peppers - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Place has been around forever. The food is good. Service is a bit slow. As far as Chicago style eateries go, this one is a tad overrated. It is Portillo's with breaded steak sandwiches. It is above average, but does not live up to the hype. read more

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I rarely get to visit Ricobene's because I'm a north sider, but when I have the chance, I grab it. My husband and I split the large breaded steak. We have them hold the bread roll, and order a green salad instead ( extra charge, of course). We also make it a "meal" so we get one soft drink and an order of their delicious fries. I like to enjoy a glass of red wine with my steak. Everything is wonderful ! read more

I had to try the steak sandwich. I got the steak put on garlic bread with mozzarella and hot peppers . And it was everything I imagined. A Chicago staple since 1942 . Get the king - I ate the whole thing ! The place opens at 9am . It's a special sandwich and if you've lived in the Chicagoland area or you're just visiting. You owe it to yourself to taste what is such a big deal . You gotta keep Livin man , L I V I N . read more

Stopped by after a DePaul. Split a large breaded steak and slice of pizza. The sandwich was great as always. The deep dish was average at best, really doughy. Would always recommend when in the area as it's a staple of Chicago. read more

Service was good! Food was fire! Definitely recommend! Pizza by the slice on point. Burgers, Sicilian beef sammich, cannoli's and so much more. Prices pretty decent too read more

Saw the rolled steak sandwich and the chicken sandwich on you tube somewhere and found myself downtown with time to kill so I made the trip over. Both the sandwiches were excellent and huge. Was enough for 3 of us. The chicken was good, but the rolled steak sandwich was FABULOUS. We'll be back read more

Steak sandwich was amazing, would recommend going and try the steak sandwich. Plenty of parking across the street. Quick service.

Have heard about this place for years. Nice little old school restaurant, Italian beef was large and filling, taste great Will definitely be back Sooner than later read more

I love Ricobene's now! The deep dish Pizza with sausage in it, It was so delightful like I can stop eating this otherwise me being a big back and I also got the 8 piece barbecue sauce chicken wings with fries it was so good but the barbecue sauce is kinda spicy not gonna lie. I asked for no spicy and the barbecue sauce is hecking spicy but I like it also I mispronounce Ricobene's by saying Ricobean's and my buddy Jax (not from the digital circus) helped me out by saying Ricobene's. read more

Ricobene's is a classic eatery of Chicago. Located on the south side of Chicago in The Bridgeport neighborhood, this restaurant brings one of the greatest steak sandwiches in the country. Also, some good Chicago pizza. 5 out of 5 stars. read more

I ordered the "world famous" breaded steak sandwich and felt that it was not worth the hype! I chose the king size and shared with my husband, and it was just not right. The overall sandwich was extremely soggy and the amount of breaded steak was too large for the sandwich. There was no way to pick it up, so I had to use a fork and knife. The quality of the breaded steak was poor. I enjoyed their side of fries which was also large in size. They were well seasoned and had the right about if soft / crunch! This is now my second time trying their food and it's not for me. read more

Ricobene's - Chicken Parmesan Sandwich and Fries - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Whenever I'm going to a Sox game we always try and visit for a Steak sandwich. The Pizza isn't bad either. They are always busy but are always attentive. read more

I don't live far from this restaurant, and I always order the chicken sandwich and pizza. They have pretty good food here, but I can only come in on those two items. read more

Hadn't been here in a very long time a decent sandwich and very hearty. I would not say it's the best sandwich but it's definitely unique to chicago. Great fries and good pizza as well. You gotta give it a try at least once to make your decision on this place. read more

Ricobene's - Breaded Steak Sandwich - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is a fun spot right off the expressway. We ordered the steak sandwich, the pepper and egg sandwich, the meatball sub, and fries. They forgot my fries but the servers were quick to correct my order. They could have kept the fries. The fries were sad and soggy. The pepper and egg sandwich was like a salty omelette on a bun. The meatball and steak sandwich were decent, but could have used more sauce. While I wouldn't go back, I see why this place is a local staple and is worth trying at least once. read more

Food and service always perfect!! A weekly visit is recommended. Try the Chicken Parm Sandwich, King size, add mozzarella and easy sauce on garlic bread and cut in half. Should be the Victor special!! Hah! read more

Maaaaaaaaaan! All this best sandwich in the world nonsense needs to stop! SERIOUSLY! I understand the nostalgia you Chicagoans with certain establishments but THIS is not the one. I ordered the "buffalo" wings and the famous sandwich. Firstly for a city with a wing spot on every corner you crazy as hell for buying wings here and they should be ashamed for selling the shits. Since when are Buffalo wings sweet?! Then they douse the just cooked wings in the sauce so the wings aren't even crispy, this honestly what pissed me off the most but, moving on to the sandwich. After seeing and reading about it and then having my realtor hype it up so hard I had to get one and I was underwhelmed just some sloppy ish and people love sloppy ish in this city. The sandwich is the reason I'm giving the review 3 stars obviously I couldn't sit down due to Covid but yeah I won't be trying this place again I don't think. Maybe if I'm drunk and some friends are paying for mine but other than that y'all can keep the sloppy steak sandwich. read more

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One of my child hood favorite places . I had not been there in years and it taste the same

Love this "new" to me, old place. Buddy told me not to miss the Italian beef sandwich and once again, the man knows his stuff. Chock full of meat and excellent gardinaria spicy relish and sweet peppers too. All on a dipped wet Italian bread. Yum! Oh, this time I asked for well done in the fresh cut fries and it was the right move! Five star rating for taking the great sandwich over the top with fries to match. Can miss folks. Enjoy true Chicago eats in the old neighborhood. read more

Great place for a breaded steak sandwich and fries . Being a Northsider , it's always a treat to get these sandwiches. Reminds me of when I was a kid and my dad would bring them home . Good quality steak and great service . Today's treat was a pick up and eat at work read more

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Good food mainly the steak sandwich and fries Service was friendly The atmosphere was also pleasant read more

In town with a friend to go to NY Giants @ Chicago Bears game and went to Ricobene's after the game. Delicious and bring your appetite. My friend's Uncle wanted me to try almost everything so he ordered the Breaded Fried Steak Sandwich, Meatball Sub & a slice of Deep Dish pizza for me. All were delicious and if I ever get back to Chicago, I know I am going back. French Fries well done were also terrific. You order at the counter then wait for your number to be called. Highly recommend! Parking lot across the street. read more

Ricobene's - Italian Beef Sandwich with mozzarellas & peppers which I friend devoured. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place was fairly close to where I was staying in Chicago when I was visiting and I decided to try it out after seeing the reviews. It got such good reviews on Yelp that I was wondering why I didn't see it listed in any of the articles I read about cheap eats in Chicago. The breaded steak sandwich was lauded by USA Today and Anthony Bourdain or something. Go figure. It was fairly entertaining walking in and observing the crowd here. Another person on Yelp described it as seeing the locals 'in their natural habitat'. Thought that was a pretty good description. I have to give props to the big guy taking my order up front. He was very nice, helpful, and seemed like he had a good sense of humor. So I ended up going all out and ordering the 'king size' breaded steak sandwich ($11.50). But I got it in a combo with fries, a drink, and a side of hot peppers. Total came out to $18.63. I was mad when I saw the receipt; I was like damn, how did I spend so much on lunch? This better be worth it. I was real happy when I got my tray though. The 'king size' breaded steak sandwich is HUGEEEEEE. I think it is the biggest sandwich I've ever had in my life. There was so much meat and mozzarella piled on. I think the king size sandwich is enough to fill up two heavy eaters or 3 light eaters. So for that much value, I can forgive that it costs so much. If I did it again, I'd order the king size sandwich without the fries, as you really don't need them when you have so much sandwich. The fries were a little soggy but still enjoyable. As for the sandwich itself, I think it deserves its own paragraph. Initially, I thought I'd take a few bites and just write it off as another heavy sandwich that gets old after a few satisfying bites. But I kept taking bite after bite of the sandwich and it felt so good that I didn't want to stop! The hot peppers are definitely a good addition to the sandwich because the spiciness cuts through the heaviness of the meat and cheese. The breaded steak is really perfect because it's sooooo tender and isn't hard at all. And when the sauce gets into the bread and makes it a little soggy, there is a wonderful cohesiveness to the bite in which you feel everything working together so well. And there are layers and layers of steak on the sandwich. So good and I can confidently state that the hype is worth it! I was in such a good mood after my meal and took a little less than half the sandwich home with me as leftovers. It was so good that I ate the rest the next morning for breakfast. LoL. read more

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I started with a pan slice of the of pizza , it is called the works (sausage, pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms, onion and green pepper. My guest had a deep dish slice of pizza, cheese and sausage. I also had Vesuvio Italian Classic, which is breaded chicken breast with garlic butter, onion s lettuce and mayo. My guest had a breaded steak sandwich with cheese. Outstanding meal, and probably the only thing I will eat today. I highly recommend Ricobenes and this is a Chicago gem. So sorry for the two stars, it is impossible that would every happen. read more

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My all time favorite around here I usually have a pepperoni deep dish and there are times I can eat that by my 5foot 135 pound self, it's that delicious FYI they do not have pineapples to add but still amazing regardless Dinjng in is also a lovely experience and it's always nice to see all their daily options and grab some merch. Oh and delivery is pretty fast! read more

Great food love the steak sandwich & meatball sandwich my wife gets the eggplant sandwich

Ordered the famous steak sandwich which is basically a breaded steak parmigiana sub with giadiniera which is not bad but messy. Staff was friendly enough and its quite loud but to be expected this place is busy. A short walk to Chinatown. read more

Food is always a hit! If you want to sit in and eat you are probably not going to find a spot unless you stalk a few people or get there extra early. It is really hot over the summer, better to take it and eat. read more

If you've never heard of Ricobenes or are relying on a review you must be new to Chicago or just visiting. That being said, do yourself a favor and go! They never fail to impress. Get the breaded steak sandwich ( my favorite) or the chicken parm sandwich. You won't be disappointed. Or left hungry. Enjoy. read more

Chicago staple. This location is always packed , but the staff moves quickly. I definitely recommend pizza , although everything on the menu is great! read more

My family has been coming here for years. Delicious breaded steak sandwich with a good amount of sauce and mozzarella cheese. read more

Ricobene's - Inside - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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They're famous for their breaded steak and let me tell you, it was indeed famous. More famous than Famous Dave's. Steak? Breaded. Cheese? Melted. Peppers? I wish they were hotter but it's ight. The hot fries smack, they said it was buffalo sauce but it tastes more like hot sauce. Overall, 4.7/5. read more

So my aunt introduced me to this wonderful Chicago staple so I ordered the breaded steak sandwich.....with spicy peppers omg so so flavorful the mozzarella was chefs kiss I want to try the entire menu eventually! read more

I love this place...I love this food nothing like it in the city pizza is the best ....the service sucks but the food is crazy